When the school board traded opinions on the new standards on Monday, even the most supportive of the Common Core voiced worries about the tests aligned with the new learning requirements. Board member Bobbie Regan was absent.

Supporters say the Common Core, which has been adopted by 45 states, will help standardize higher levels of learning skills across the country. Oregon is slated to switch to new state tests, aligned with the more rigorous standards, during the spring of 2015.

Melissa Goff, the executive director of the office of teaching and learning, admits the transition will be "rocky" because of limited resources, but says the main goal is to make sure that doesn't affect student learning.

Some critics, like board member Steve Buel, have railed generally against the standards, calling them detrimental to student learning. Others, like board member Ruth Adkins, support the Common Core, but worry teachers haven't gotten the proper support to deal with the new tests associated with the standards.

On Monday, Adkins said she is worried about the “unintended consequences” over funding and support for the upcoming state tests.

“Is the state providing sufficient time and resources for professional development, for the transition, for even acquiring the technology and materials that the districts need?” she asked.

Across the country, the debate has raged over whether the Common Core state standards will be helpful or detrimental to student learning. As tests related to the standards have rolled out, the curriculum has gained critics, including parents who are opting their students out of standardized tests in protest.

Portland Public Schools and other Oregon districts have gradually been adopting curriculum related to the standards since Oregon adopted the Common Core in 2010. During the next school year, Portland will begin using the "Smarter Balanced" state assessment, which uses the new learning requirements.

The new standards are geared toward more critical thinking skills within reading and math. Some have noted the standards' increased focus on non-fiction and close readings within texts.

Opponents like Buel say the standards put too much emphasis and money toward standardized testing, which can limit students' learning. But district officials often defend the core, saying students will benefit from more rigor.

Buel on Monday constantly clashed with board co-chairwoman Pam Knowles, who has appeared to be one of the most supportive of the new standards. When Buel reportedly said the sample test questions were "terrible," Knowles pointedly reminded him to say that was simply his opinion.

But even Knowles had her own worries.

“I’m very excited about higher standards, but I did have concerns about professional development, whether our teachers are ready for this,” she said, adding that they still needed to work on preparing teachers.

Knowles said district officials appeared to be on track, but PPS administrators also noted the district only received money from the state specifically for the transition of the core this year. A state grant gave the district about $496,000 until the summer of 2015.

"That money would have been great to have four years ago," said Goff.

Teachers are also worried about the standards stifling creativity within the classroom, according to board member Matt Morton. Morton also asked whether the higher standards would leave struggling students -- such as English Language Learners -- even further behind.

Greg Belisle, a co-chairman of the board, expressed disappointment when he was told the new tests could lead to the state continuing to label certain schools as low-performing. It didn't make sense to heighten the standards, then follow through with punishment for schools that did not make those standards, he said.

Buel, a former educator who was backed by the Portland Association of Teachers, has been by far the most disdainful of the new standards. After a heated back and forth with Knowles, Buel on Monday read a resolution asking the district to advocate for suspending Common Core's implementation for three years.

Portland Association of Teachers leaders, who have been public about their disdain of the Common Core, found encouragement in the board members' views. Gwen Sullivan, the president of the teachers union, said she would support a delayed implementation of the Common Core.

Tom Koehler, another board member, said he believed the board could pass a resolution that would correctly encompass some of the concerns about Common Core, even though the opinions range.

"I actually think most everyone has been more aligned than the theatrics may have represented," he said.